Shall We Dance?
by sarabethloves
Summary: Millionaire bachelor, Ichigo Kurosaki, just wants a change. He's tired of the buxom bimbos that keep finding a way into his bed. So when he first spots Rukia Kuchiki in a coffee shop, he's completely entranced. Rukia, on the other hand, well, she's seen better. IchiRuki. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**So this little plot bunny came to me the other day and I just couldn't resist writing it down. I've written Bleach fan fiction before but never anything quite like this so I'm interested to see how this story goes! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm just going to use this as a disclaimer for this chapter and all subsequent chapters as well. I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. Simple as that. **

Ichigo Kurosaki stirred in his king-sized bed fitted with the silkiest and most expensive sheets money could buy. Beams of light from the oversized window across the room caused the young, orange-haired man to squint as his eyelids creaked open. The light flooded his eyes and triggered the pounding in his head, which he recognized all too well.

_Damn. I thought I had gotten better at preventing hangovers_, the young man thought to himself as his mind tried to adjust to his surroundings, pounding harshly against his skull as it did. Ichigo grasped his forehead in pain and sat up in his bed. Thank goodness he had had enough sense while he was drunk to come back to his own bedroom. The young man had woken up in one too many foreign beds after a night of partying for his liking.

He turned his head to the side to find an all too familiar sight. A woman. Naked. Asleep. In his bed.

Ichigo sighed. Not again. How many times had he gone out with friends to have a little fun on the weekends only to find himself waking up next to some blonde bimbo with a pounding headache?

Too many times.

It wasn't that Ichigo didn't enjoy having some fun with beautiful, strange girls. In fact, it was one of his favorite things to do now that his job as a CEO of a multibillion-dollar company had become so demanding. His crazy lifestyle on the weekends was his only way to relieve the stress that was accumulating from work.

He just hated the morning after these little escapades. It was just so _awkward. _Ichigo wasn't very good with verbal confrontation (physical he could deal with just fine) and therefore having to tell some poor, confused woman that he wasn't interested in getting to know her any more than he already did and that she should just _leave_ was a difficult task for him.

Sometimes it wasn't that bad and the woman would blush, gather her stuff, and dash away, never to be seen again. Sometimes it was _very _bad and he would have to deal with crazy stalker girls who would like nothing more than to be Mrs. Kurosaki.

And when that happened, it just got ugly.

Ichigo wondered what kind of morning after this girl would turn out to be. His memory from the night before was foggy, but he recalled her being a nice enough girl. Maybe she would just be embarrassed to be caught having a one night stand with a famous millionare and get the hell out of his house.

He sincerely hoped that she wasn't going to be like the other crazy stalkers. Ichigo had had to file one too many restraining orders in his day. As much as people would think otherwise, being one of the most eligible bachelors in Tokyo was hard sometimes.

Ichigo quietly slipped out, trying not to disturb the buxom blonde in his bed. He tiptoed over to one of his drawers and pulled out a fresh pair of boxers and jeans. He slipped them on before walking out of his bedroom and into his spacious penthouse apartment overlooking the beautiful city of Tokyo.

As much of a jerk as he knew it would make him, Ichigo wished he could just get dressed and go to work, leaving the one night stand in his bed to fend for herself. His maid was supposed to come over today so maybe he could ask her to escort the young lady out and tell her to never come back.

Ichigo groaned. He really was an asshole, wasn't he?

But what else could he do? Being in a relationship was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He didn't have time to run a huge, global company and worry about a girlfriend simultaneously. His love life was on the backburner as his company, Kurosaki Corporations, was thriving.

And since Ichigo was a young man in his late twenties, he had needs. Sexual needs. That very much needed to be fulfilled. So that only left drunken one night stands. There wasn't any other option for him.

But, if he tried to explain that to most women, they would scoff in disgust, possibly leaving their handprint on his face. Then again, he _was _Ichigo Kurosaki. Prodigy of the business world. Millionaire. Eligible bachelor. He had women throwing themselves at him everywhere he went.

He glanced at the clock on the oven in his kitchen and groaned. 9:45 a.m. He was late. Again. His secretary was going to kick his ass when he got to the Kurosaki Corp headquarters.

He sighed. He really had no other choice. He couldn't wait for the stranger in his bed to wake up so he quietly walked back into his room and changed into his business suit. He freshened up in the adjoined master bathroom, grabbed his briefcase and cell phone, and left his apartment without a word.

Karma was going to kick his ass for that one.

* * *

"I need two medium, nonfat vanilla lattes and a small caramel frappucino, please!" the young, raven-haired woman yelled to anyone who would listen. She hated having to work the morning shift. She was constantly running around, hardly having a moment to breathe, let alone do anything else. People sure loved their coffee in the morning.

"Rukia! Can you pour a large regular coffee, please?" Rukia Kuchiki's best friend and coworker, Orihime Inoue, called from the register she was currently standing behind.

"Sure thing!" Rukia yelled back as she put down the blender she was currently pouring ingredients into, grabbed the large coffee pot, poured a sufficient amount into the large cardboard cup, and set it on the pickup counter.

"One large regular coffee," she yelled as the customer came over and picked up his drink, not even stopping to say thank you. Rukia rolled her eyes and got back to making her other drink. So typical of the rich, snobby people living in one of Tokyo's nicest areas. Just her luck she would get a job at the coffeehouse with customers who were the most stuck up and rude people in the entire city.

Rukia wanted to work at the quaint bookstore a few blocks from her apartment but she didn't even get an interview when she applied. She didn't get an interview anywhere except here. The coffee shop that her best friend and roommate worked at. Orihime had busted her back to get Rukia this job so she tried to remind herself to be more appreciative, but she couldn't deny how much she hated working here. Especially in the morning.

Rukia began to blend the frappuccino she was working on with practiced skill. She poured the drink into a plastic cup, squirted a bit of whipped cream on top, and set it on the counter.

"One nonfat, vanilla frappuccino with soymilk and extra vanilla!" Rukia called out, trying her best to disguise the disdain she had for whoever would order such a complicated drink. When the blonde women wearing a designer track suit, carrying an overpriced bag, and sporting a rock the size of a pumpkin on her finger walked up to the counter to retrieve the drink, Rukia just knew what would happen next.

"Excuse me, did you use soymilk? I specifically asked for soymilk," the women asked Rukia, her voice filled with condescension. This woman thought she was so high and mighty because she had money and Rukia didn't. It made her blood boil.

"Yes ma'am, I did," Rukia answered, her voice straining to hide her anger.

"And the vanilla. I asked for extra vanilla."

"Mm-hmm," Rukia answered through clenched teeth as she began to make the next drink on her list.

"I didn't want a ton of extra vanilla. Just a little bit. Did you put too much in it?"

"I can't be the judge of that ma'am. Why don't you taste it and see if it's to your liking," Rukia said, plastering the best fake smile on her face she could manage.

The woman sipped the drink and immediately recoiled in disgust. "Ugh, yep that's way too much. I only want a few extra drops," she said as she handed the drink back to Rukia.

_A few extra drops_. This woman was so particular about how she wanted her stupid frappucino to be that she could taste the difference in a few extra drops of vanilla. Rukia wanted to scream.

_Stupid, stuck up, snobby housewives who have nothing better to do than play tennis with their friends and order ridiculously particular coffee drinks all day long. _

Rukia hated them. It was stupid rich people like that woman that were the reason she had this horrible job to begin with.

She used to be very wealthy herself. Well, she wasn't wealthy but her adoptive brother was. Byakuya Kuchiki was the owner of a large company until one of his business partners tricked him into signing a horrible deal that caused the company to go bankrupt. Thankfully her brother wasn't also arrested and sent to jail, but he was still poor and homeless, living with one of his other business partners and desperately trying to get his company back off the ground.

It was an impossible task though. It had been a year and a half since he had declared bankruptcy and nothing had changing.

When it happened, Rukia was in her second year of college. She had already moved away from her brother and was technically out on her own, but her brother still funded all of her expenses. When Byakuya lost all of his money, Rukia was forced to take out loans to pay for her college education, sell all of her expensive clothes and possessions, and move in with her best friend. She was living completely off of the money she earned at the coffee shop until she could graduate and get a real job and it hadn't been easy. She was making practically nothing right now.

That's why women like the complicated drink order one bugged her so much. They were completely oblivious to the harshness of living in the real world. They had no idea what it was like to have to work your ass off just to pay the bills. All they had to do was look pretty so some rich, old guy could come along and slide a big diamond ring on their finger.

It was disgusting.

As Rukia angrily remade the women's frappucino (with only a few extra drops of vanilla), the door to the coffee shop opened and immediately all women present stopped what they were doing to stare at the man who had just walked in. All except Rukia, of course.

A hush fell over the coffeehouse as women ogled and men eyed jealously. Rukia looked up to see what was going on when her eyes came across a tall young man with amber eyes and the most obnoxiously orange hair.

Rukia rolled her eyes. Just what she needed. She knew exactly who the man was. Everyone in the coffee shop knew who he was.

Ichigo Kurosaki. Tokyo's most eligible (and rich) bachelor. Rukia could practically see the fantasies running through every woman's mind. Heck, even some of the older ladies, who were clearly there with a significant other, eyed the young man hungrily.

Rukia watched as Ichigo approached the counter, cutting everyone in line (though it looked like none of them cared), and walked right up to her best friend, who looked as though she was about to pass out.

"Hi," Ichigo said, flashing Orihime a sexy smile. Rukia wondered if she would have to catch her best friend when she blacked out.

"H-H-Hi," Orihime stammered in response, completely entranced with the man in front of her.

"Can I get a large, black coffee, please?" he asked her, still giving her that unbelievable smile. Rukia narrowed her eyes. What a jerk. Flirting just to see a young girl drool all over him. And not just any young girl. Rukia's best friend.

"S-Sure," Orihime said as she rang up the total.

Ichigo laid a large bill on the counter and said, "Keep the change." He winked at Orihime and walked over to where Rukia was standing behind the pick up counter to wait for her to pour him his coffee.

Rukia rolled her eyes. So typical of him to pay with a large bill just to let everyone in the shop know he had money. As if they didn't already know that just by looking at him.

Rukia angrily grabbed a coffee cup and poured the pretentious snob his drink. She put the lid on the cup and marched over to the counter.

Ichigo was leaning against the counter with his elbows resting on top, staring at her. Rukia returned his stare with a glare of her own and slammed the cup down on top of the counter. "Here," she said with an angry grunt.

Ichigo gave Rukia the same smile he gave Orihime and chuckled at her feisty attitude. "Thanks," he said not even slightly fazed by Rukia's death glare. He stood up to his full height, picked up his drink, and left the coffeehouse as everyone watched him.

Rukia, however, didn't fail to notice his eyes lingering on her, and only her, as he left the shop.

She shook her head. What a jerk! He thought he was so smooth, didn't he? Guys like that made Rukia's blood boil. She angrily got back to mixing drinks, not noticing all the women in the coffeehouse eyeing her with sheer disbelief.

**So, what do you think? Should I continue? I'm always open to constructive criticism as I am still learning so don't hesitate to drop a review! Or just drop one to tell me what you thought :) Those things keep me writing!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, you guys! I was blown away by the positive response I got for the first chapter that I just had to get this next one out ASAP! Thank you SO much to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. You guys are awesome! Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)**

"Ah, Kurosaki. You're still alive?" Uryuu Ishida asked in disdain as he watched his boss and (somehow) his friend walk into his office on the top floor of the Kurosaki Corporation's headquarters.

"Shut up, Ishida. I had a late night and I forgot to set my alarm," Ichigo said with a scowl as he walked into his massive office. He set his briefcase and coffee cup down on his desk and sat in his incredibly comfortable chair.

"Oh, I'm sure you did. Tell me, Kurosaki, did you even stop to ask the girl her name?" Uryuu asked as he followed Ichigo into his office and sat down on one of the chairs facing the desk.

"What girl?" Ichigo asked in confusion as he started up his computer.

"The girl you went home with last night," Uryuu answered as if it was obvious.

"How the hell do you know I went home with a girl last night?"

"Because you're Ichigo Kurosaki. Bringing girls you just met home to have sex with is what you do."

Ichigo scowled. "That's not exactly a reputation I want to have."

"You're a young, attractive millionaire. That's the reputation you're stuck with."

"You think I'm attractive, Ishida?" Ichigo asked with a smirk, teasing his friend.

"Oh, please. Wrangle in your ego for two seconds, Kurosaki. I'm serious."

"Fine, whatever. To answer your question, I did ask her name before I took her home. I'm not disgusting."

"So what is it?" Uryuu asked, knowing exactly how his friend was going to answer.

Ichigo thought for a minute before sheepishly answering, "Um…I forgot."

"Unbelievable."

"Look, I was drunk! I hardly even remember where I was last night, let alone that girl's name."

"Couldn't you just have asked her this morning when she woke up?"

At that, Ichigo looked down at his hands and then back up at his computer; anything but his judging friend. Uryuu narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me-,"

"I was running late for work! I had to leave her there. She was pretty conked out so I didn't want to wake her up just to tell her to leave."

"So that woman is probably _still _in your apartment somewhere?" Uryuu asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, probably. Oh that reminds me! I have to text my maid to ask her to let her out," Ichigo said as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and began texting.

"You're such an asshole," Uryuu said simply.

"Yeah? Then why are you friends with me?"

"I ask myself that question every day," Uyruu answered. Ichigo glared in his direction.

"Yeah, well since you _are_ my friend, I need to talk to you about something."

Uryuu sighed. He could only guess what this would be about. "What?"

"I'm starting to get tired of all the woman I've been with lately. I need something different."

"You mean like a relationship?" Uryuu perked up. He had been trying to fix Ichigo with someone for years now and had always been unsuccessful. Maybe now his friend was finally open to the idea of settling down.

"No, I mean like a different kind of woman."

Uryuu sighed. Just when he thought Ichigo was finally growing out of his playboy lifestyle.

"You really are terrible," he said, defeated.

"I'm serious, Ishida. I can't keep sleeping with these blonde, big-boobed bimbos."

"So who would you rather sleep with, Kurosaki? Brunette, big-boobed bimbos. Or are you a red head guy?" Uryuu asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"I want someone different. Like a real woman. Not some made up, plastic surgery-infested girl from one of the clubs. I just want to be with a normal girl who's not afraid to speak her mind. Someone who doesn't see me only for my money," Ichigo said, his voice growing serious.

"You know, Kurosaki, what you just described to me isn't a one night stand. It's a girlfriend."

Ichigo looked deep in thought as he pondered his friend's words. Maybe that's what he wanted after all. Maybe he really did want to settle down but he couldn't find the time so he told himself he wasn't interested in relationships.

"Damn, Ishida. I don't know what I want."

"Then I suggest you figure that out before you pick up some poor girl off the side of the road."

"I'd never do that. You know me, Ishida. I may be bad, but at least I'm not a monster."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, about this normal girl that you want. Have any ideas?"

"Well, there was this gorgeous girl who was working at that coffee shop a few blocks away. Man, she was something else. She had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They were almost purple. And she looks nothing like the girls I'm used to. Short, black hair-,"

"Small chest," Uryuu finished for his friend, who looked back at him bewildered. "Hey, you said she looks nothing like the girls you're usually with so I just assumed."

"Screw you, Ishida," Ichigo said angrily, gaining a chuckle from his friend.

"So when did you spot this girl?"

"This morning when I went to get my coffee. She was the one who poured it. She didn't seem too happy with me, though. Kept glaring at me for some reason."

Uryuu fake gasped. "You mean to tell me that there is a young, beautiful woman out there who doesn't want to crawl straight into your bed? What is this world coming to?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ichigo glared at him for probably the tenth time that morning. "Why do I even talk to you?"

Uryuu laughed and answered, "That's a very good question, Kurosaki."

Before Ichigo could retort, the door to his office slammed open and immediately Ichigo sat back in fear.

_His secretary_.

"Where the hell have you been all morning? Were you aware that you have to be at a meeting that started ten minutes ago!?" Nanao Ise screamed at her boss as she angrily marched to his desk.

"Shit, Nanao, calm down. You never told me about any meeting," Ichigo answered, somewhat calmly. He couldn't deny just how much that woman terrified him.

"Yes, I did! I called and texted you about a hundred times to remind you!"

"You did? I didn't get any of that," Ichigo answered as he looked down at his phone, which confirmed that he had indeed not gotten a single text or missed call from his secretary.

"Then get a new phone because something must be wrong with yours! Now get your lazy ass out of your office and do your damn job!" Nanao screamed.

Ichigo sighed and got up out of his chair. He wasn't about to tell his infuriated secretary that the reason he didn't get any of her calls or texts was because he had blocked her number when she had bombarded him with messages about another important meeting the week before. She would probably rip his head off if she knew that.

"You know, Ise, I could fire you for talking to me like that," Ichigo told her as they walked to the large conference room on the top floor.

Nanao rolled her eyes. "Oh please. If you fired me, this whole company would go under."

Ichigo hated how right she was. Nanao Ise was way more than a secretary, that was for sure.

Before they walked into the conference room, Nanao stopped her young boss and stood in front of him. "Before you go in, I have to say something. The most important people in this company besides yourself are waiting in there. You can play the bad boy on the weekend, Mr. Kurosaki, but now you have to be the strong and unyielding CEO. This company rides on your shoulders. Don't forget that," his secretary told him before straightening his tie and shoving him into the conference room.

As Ichigo greeted his higher up employees and sat down, he sighed inwardly. He could never forget how much depended on him. No matter how hard he tried.

* * *

"He's not answering…again," Yuzu Kurosaki said with a sigh as she closed her phone in defeat.

"Why do you even try anymore? Ichigo hardly has time to take care of himself let alone care about our lives," Yuzu's twin sister, Karin, said with an emotionless tone.

"Don't say that, Karin. Big brother does still care about us. He's probably just busy," Yuzu answered her sister, ever the optimist.

"Whatever. One of these days you're going to have to give up the illusion of Ichigo you've created for yourself. He's not super man. He has issues. Lots of them," Karin, ever the pessimist, told her sister.

"I know that. Everyone has issues. I just think you've given up trying to have a relationship with him too early. We're the only family he has left, remember? And he's our only family too."

"Really Yuzu? That's how families work? I had no idea," Karin retorted sarcastically.

"Oh stop being so negative, Karin. You're getting on my nerves."

"Please, nothing gets on your nerves."

"That's not true! You do all the time," Yuzu answered back.

Just before Karin could retaliate with a snide remark of her own, Yuzu's cell phone began to ring. She grabbed it quickly and gasped excitedly when she saw who was calling. "Hello, big brother!" she answered with a happy smile. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Yuzu. Sorry I couldn't answer your calls. I was in a meeting," Ichigo said from the other line.

"Oh that's okay, I understand."

"So what's up?"

"Oh! I just wanted to call you to tell you that I aced my test! You know, the really hard one I told you about the other day."

"The math test? From the class with the really tough professor?"

"Yep! That's the one."

"Wow, Yuzu, that's great! I'm proud of you."

"Really? That means a lot to me, brother," Yuzu said sincerely.

"Of course. Though you know I'll always be proud of you. No matter how you do in school."

Yuzu grew teary eyed and Karin groaned, not wanting to have to deal with her sniffling twin sister.

"Thanks, big brother!"

"It's been awhile since I've seen you guys. You're still planning on coming to the city next weekend to visit, right?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course! We're so excited. I already planned out all the meals I'm going to make you."

"Awesome. It's been way too long since I've had your amazing cooking, Yuzu."

"We both can't wait! Listen, Ichigo, we have to go to class but I'll talk to you soon and we'll see you next weekend, okay?"

"Sounds good. Tell Karin I love her, despite how much of an ass she is," Ichigo said, causing Yuzu to giggle lightly.

"I will. I love you, Ichigo."

"I love you too. Talk to you later."

"Okay, bye!" Yuzu said before hanging up her phone.

"So what did Ichigo have to say?" Karin asked as she stood up from the bench her and her sister were sitting at, Yuzu following suit.

"Oh, he just wanted to tell you that you were an ass," her sister answered with a deceivingly sweet smile before walking away happily.

Karin glared at her sister, rolled her eyes, and begrudgingly followed after her to their next class.

* * *

"Aw, aren't you just the best big brother in the world," Uryuu said cynically as he walked into his friend's office just as he was finishing up a phone call with his sister.

"Shut up, Ishida. My sisters are the only family I have left. I'm not going to abandon them just because I'm rich and famous."

"Just as modest as ever, Kurosaki."

"What do you want, Ishida? Don't you have a job to get to? You know, the one I'm paying you for."

"I'll get to that in a minute, but I wanted to ask you a favor first."

"What's that?" Ichigo asked as he eyed his friend skeptically. When Uryuu asked for favors, nothing ever good happened.

"I've been thinking about our conversation from this morning. I'm very interested in seeing this girl you were talking about."

"The coffee shop girl?"

"Yes, her. I was thinking tomorrow before work we could meet there and have breakfast. They serve bagels, right?"

"As far as I know."

"Good. Meet me there at 8," Uryuu said simply before turning to exit the office.

"Wait a second, Ishida." His friend stopped in place and turned toward Ichigo. "Why are you so interested in seeing this girl?"

"You said she was beautiful and that she didn't like you. That's enough of an incentive to go look for myself. This girl is very rare."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Are you mocking me?"

"Only a little bit, Kurosaki," Uryuu said with a smile before exiting the office.

Why was he friends with this guy again?

**Hope you enjoyed it! And yes, in this story both Ichigo's mom and dad are not around, but I'll explain what happened to them later. And I know this chapter was kind of slow because there was a lot of ground work to lay but we'll get back to the IchiRuki interactions in the next chapter ;) Tell me what you guys think! The positive feedback I got the last chapter was so encouraging and motivating :) **

**P.S. The title for this story does have a significance that will be addressed later so stick around if you want to find out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys are seriously the best. Like I'm so happy y'all are loving this story! I have so much motivation to write right now so keep the positive feedback coming! Quick note since I've had a few people tell me this in reviews, yes Ichigo is a little OOC in this story. I would like to keep everyone as in character as possible but the Ichigo we all know and love is a little too dense for the purposes of this story so, yeah, he's going to be slightly OOC. If that bothers you, I apologize. But it is fan fiction after all. With that said, I hope you guys enjoy the update!**

Ichigo Kurosaki parked his fast and ridiculously overpriced car along the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop he had been to the day before. The young millionaire rolled his eyes when he spotted Uryuu standing outside the door, waiting for him.

He didn't really want to know why his friend was so fascinated with the idea of a woman who didn't immediately warm up to his charms. It had happened before. Granted, it didn't happen very often (hardly ever), but he _had _experienced some rejection in his life.

Of course, all of the girls who initially rejected him who hadn't been unavailable had eventually warmed up to him. Ichigo smirked when he thought about how fortunate he was when it came to women. His charm was legendary.

That's why Ichigo confidently exited his car and walked into the coffee shop with his friend. He would get this girl to come around eventually. He wasn't really trying when he first talked to her but now he was prepared to lay on the charm.

"So, Kurosaki. Which one is she?" Uryuu asked as they entered the small café and stood in line.

Ichigo didn't fail to notice that the coffee shop once again became very quiet the moment he walked through the door.

Ichigo's eyes roamed over the employees working behind the counter until they fell on a certain petite, raven-haired woman. "That one," Ichigo said, pointing her out to Uryuu.

Ishida took a look and whistled under his breath. "You're right. She's very pretty. And definitely not your type."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I want her," Ichigo said confidently as his eyes roamed over the girl. She was wearing a simple black shirt with blue jeans. A green apron was tied around her body with the coffee shop's logo on the front. She looked as busy and flustered as she had the day before, frantically running around behind the counter trying to do a million things at once.

When Ichigo reluctantly took his eyes off of her, he was surprised to find Uryuu's attention elsewhere. Namely on the girl behind the register.

"Wow, she's _very_ pretty," Uryuu said. Ichigo could tell he was talking about the smiling, auburn-haired woman currently taking orders.

Uryuu was right. She _was _very beautiful, but the starry-eyed look she gave him the last time he was here turned him off to the idea of ever pursuing her. He could handle the gold digging bimbos from the clubs. Fainting fan girls on the other hand, not so much.

"She's all yours, man. Go get 'em," Ichigo said nonchalantly as his eyes roamed back to the raven-haired girl.

Uryuu narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I don't need your permission to go after a girl, Kurosaki. My love life doesn't run off of your leftovers," he said quietly before walking up to the counter and giving the auburn-haired girl a smile.

Ichigo was actually surprised by Uryuu's comment. He didn't realize how much bitterness his friend had carried living in Ichigo's shadow. He made a mental note to talk to him about it later.

"H-Hi," the girl behind the counter said as she eyed Ichigo, almost out of breath.

"Hi, I would like a vanilla latte and a cinnamon raisin bagel and my friend here would like the same," Uryuu said with a smile, slightly hurt by the girl's obvious disregard for him.

"Oh, okay. For here or to go?" she asked, still not taking her eyes off of Ichigo, who was looking around the coffee shop, trying to avoid her eyes. He could practically feel Ishida seething.

"Here, please," Uryuu answered as he handed the girl enough money to cover their food and drinks. "Keep the change," he said politely before they both went to go find a table.

"What the hell are you doing ordering for me, Ishida?" Ichigo asked when they sat down at a table by the window.

"I'm mad at you so I didn't feel like asking what you wanted, okay?" Uryuu said as he glared out the window. Ichigo knew exactly why he was angry.

"Dude, you can't blame me for how that girl acted."

"Yes, I can. You're always walking around all smooth and suave. Girls are falling down at your feet everywhere you go. Meanwhile, I have to play the part of the dorky tag-along. It's hard being your friend sometimes, Kurosaki."

"So what do you want me to do? Walk up to that girl and tell her I'm not interested?"

"That wouldn't make me feel better. Just once I would like to get a girl on my own, without you having to toss them aside first."

"Look I'm sorry, man. But there's really nothing I can do for you," Ichigo told his friend. Uryuu only glared at him and continued looking out the window.

Ichigo sighed and fixed his attention back on the person he had come here for. He watched as the girl bustled around at lightning speed. Just as she was placing a drink on the pick up counter for another customer, her eyes met Ichigo's. Immediately her whole face fell and her eyes narrowed. Ichigo could only smirk.

* * *

_Oh hell no._

Why? Why did he have to do this to her? What was so interesting about her that he had to come back the second day in a row just to get a better look?

It was almost as if he knew just how much she hated guys like him and was torturing her for his own pleasure. Rukia could think of no other reason. She didn't have blonde hair. She didn't have big boobs. What could she possibly have that would make him look at her like that? Like she was a piece of meat he was just dying to get a taste of. He was practically licking his lips!

Rukia slammed the blender pitcher she was holding down on the counter and gave the pretentious millionaire a look that could kill. He only smiled back at her, not breaking eye contact for a second.

Why was he sitting at a table? He was in and out so quickly the day before that she knew he had to have woken up earlier just to eat here. And he even brought a friend! What was this guy's deal?

Momo Hinamori, one of Rukia's coworkers, set down two plates with two cinnamon raisin bagels and cream cheese in front of her. "Can you take these to that table over there for me, Rukia? I'm swamped," she said before quickly rushing off to do another task.

Rukia looked down at the bagels, then up to the table Momo had indicated.

Why did the universe hate her?

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down before begrudgingly picking up the two plates and walking over to the one table in the entire coffee shop she wanted to stay the farthest away from.

"Two cinnamon raisin bagels?" she asked the men sitting at the table in the most annoyed voice she could manage.

"Ah, yes. Thank you very much…uh…Rukia," Ichigo Kurosaki said with a smirk as she laid the two plates down on the table.

She was confused as to how in the world Ichigo knew her name until she remembered the tag on her chest.

_Damn that stupid nametag! Now he knows my name!_

Rukia didn't say another word to the pair as she quickly tried to dash away, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Excuse me. We ordered two vanilla lattes. Do you know when they'll be out?" Ichigo asked, his hand still resting on her arm. She glared at him. He was so loving this. She couldn't stand just how condescending he sounded.

"I don't know," she snapped at him before yanking her arm away from his grasp and rushing back behind the counter, fuming.

* * *

"Wow, you were right. She does _not _like you. Never thought I'd see the day," Uryuu said with a chuckle before he picked up the knife on the plate and spread cream cheese on his bagel.

"Yeah, she's pretty feisty. Don't worry, though, I'll get her to come around."

"I don't know, Kurosaki. She may be a tough one to break."

"Then I'll just have to try extra hard. Ichigo Kurosaki does not back down from a challenge."

Uryuu scoffed. "Apparently. You might have to make this your new coffee stop. It'll take _a lot _of visits to get that girl to go out with you," he said before chomping into his breakfast.

"Just you wait and see, Ishida. I'll have her moaning beneath me in a week, tops."

Uryuu rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Kurosaki. Whatever you say."

Ichigo smirked at his friend and began to eat his own bagel, not failing to notice his new target glaring at him from behind the counter.

**Okay, so Ichigo is being kind of a jerk, but he'll come around, I promise! Hope you guys liked the IchiRuki in this chapter. Their interactions are going to get more and more interesting from here on out ;) Review if you liked what you read!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry this update has taken a little longer. I'm moving into a new apartment on Sunday and classes start on Wednesday so things have been a little hectic on my end and I haven't had a whole lot of time to write. I also struggled with this chapter. I'm not sure I really like it all that much but I'll let you guys be the judge of that. Let me know what you think!**

"Rukiaaaa. He's here," Orihime Inoue said in a sing-song voice as she helped her best friend prepare a frappucino for a customer.

Rukia, in response to her friend, immediately looked up at the entrance and groaned. "Ugh, again? When will he just give it a rest?"

"Probably never. He's sure smitten with you. And something tells me that when he likes a girl, he gets her," Orihime said, her voice giving away the slight jealousy she felt about all of Rukia's unwanted attention.

"Not me. I'll never give in. I refuse to be another notch on that guy's bed," Rukia said as she pressed the button on the blender, sending it whirring to life.

"Another what?" Orihime asked in confusion.

"I mean I don't just want to be another number to this guy. And I know that's all he wants from me."

"Are you sure? He's been pretty persistent with you. I don't think he would put that much effort into a one night stand," Orihime told her friend as said man walked up to the counter and gave his usual order to Momo. Once he had paid, he confidently walked over to the counter behind which Orihime and Rukia were working.

"Hello ladies. How are both of you this morning?" he said with an irresistible smile.

"G-good," Orihime stuttered before blushing and running to the back of the store. No matter how hard Ichigo tried to attract her friend, the auburn-haired girl was still a stuttering mess every time she was around him.

Rukia rolled her eyes at Orihime's reaction and turned to the smirking man in front of her. "When will you just give it a rest? I've already told you no about a thousand times and yet you still insist on coming here for coffee every freaking morning."

"What can I say? When it comes to beautiful, stubborn women like yourself, I can't take no for an answer."

Rukia scoffed. "Yeah, no kidding. You also don't seem to take 'hell no' or 'get away from me you creep' for an answer either."

"What is it with you? What do you find so horrible about me that you would refuse to say yes. We hardly know each other."

"You may hardly know me, Ichigo Kurosaki, but I know exactly who you are. And I don't date guys like you. So, for the thousandth time, the answer is no," Rukia said with a smirk.

"You won't even sit here and have a cup of coffee with me?"

"Nope. I'm not interested," she said confidently as she mixed the ingredients for various coffee drinks behind the counter.

Ichigo looked deep in thought for a minute before his face fell and he sighed. "Fine," he said with finality as Rukia capped the lid on a drink and handed it to him. "Thank you. I'm sorry I've been such a bother," he said with a sad smile before exiting the shop, everyone staring at him as he did.

"Aw, Rukia. You made him sad," Orihime said with a pout as she watched the young millionaire leave. Rukia turned and rolled her eyes when she saw her friend peaking from behind the door leading to the kitchen.

"Who cares? He's an arrogant jerk. He deserves it."

"You don't know that. He could be sweet and caring. You automatically wrote him off as a dirty scumbag the moment you met him. That seems a little unfair to me."

"Because I don't have to get to know him to know exactly what kind of man he is. I'm sorry Orihime, but I just don't like getting my heart broken," Rukia said as the image of a certain spikey-haired man with greenish blue eyes flashed in her mind.

* * *

"You mean to tell me that _the _Ichigo Kurosaki is…giving up?"

"I don't know what else to do, Ishida. I've been going to that coffee shop every day for over a week just to talk to her. I've thrown every line in the book at her and she's still as immovable as ever," Ichigo said with frustration as he sipped his coffee in his office at work. _The coffee that Rukia made._

"Oh come on, Kurosaki. You knew that this girl was going to take some time the moment you first tried to ask her out. It's only been a week. Give her some time."

"I thought you wanted me to fail, Ishida."

Uryuu rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Despite what you may think, I'm still your friend and I do care about you. I'm starting to think that you really like this girl and that it actually hurts when she consistently rejects you. As your friend, I'm not okay with just standing by and watching you be unhappy."

"Wow, Ishida. That was a surprisingly nice thing to say."

"Yeah, well, you're still a pain in the ass that frustrates the hell out of me-,"

"And we're back to normal."

"But I do want to see you happy. You're an annoying prick when you're depressed."

"I'm feeling the love, Ishida," Ichigo said sarcastically.

"If you really like her, don't give up on her. But if you just want to sleep with her and never see her again, then you need to stop. I actually kind of like this girl. Wouldn't want to see you step all over her, got it?"

Ichigo smiled in understanding and said, "Got it."

* * *

"He didn't come in today?" Orihime asked her friend in confusion as the two gathered their things and left after their shift was over at the coffee shop.

"Yep. Thank god. Maybe he _finally _got the memo."

Orihime eyed her friend with concern and then decided to let it go. Obviously Rukia couldn't see what she could. Her friend would have to figure it out on her own.

* * *

"We should be there around noon tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine, Yuzu. I don't have any other plans, so come over when you can," Ichigo said to his baby sister on speakerphone as he was changing into his work out clothes.

"Great! Karin and I can't wait to see you! It's been too long," his sister said excitedly.

"Me too, Yuzu. See you tomorrow," Ichigo said as he pulled a loose-fitting t-shirt over his torso.

"Okay, see ya!" she said before Ichigo heard the dial tone. He hung up his own phone and proceeded to slip on his running shoes. One of his favorite things to do (when he wasn't out partying) on a Friday night was take a jog around the city. He could just let his mind and his body run free when he went jogging. Plus it was an excellent way to stay in shape.

And god knows he had to stay in shape.

As Ichigo ran through the high-class neighborhood of Tokyo, his mind wandered back to that frustrating girl from the coffee shop. What was it with her? Why was he so obsessed with getting her to say yes? It wasn't like his ego would be that badly hurt if he just accepted the fact that she wasn't interested. So what was it that made him keep coming back?

There was just something about her. Ichigo couldn't put his finger on it but he just knew that she was different. In what way, he wasn't sure. At first, getting Rukia to go on a date with him was just a silly challenge. But as he kept coming back and talking with her more, he realized that it had become more than that. He was starting to like her.

The fact that his mind had completely changed in over a week was proof enough that Rukia the Coffee Shop Girl was something special.

He chuckled to himself when he remembered a moment he had shared with her a few days before.

_"Ugh, you again," Rukia said in disgust as Ichigo walked to the counter to get his drink. It had been the third day in a row he had come back to the coffee shop. _

_ "You know, I'm starting to think you have something against me," Ichigo said with a sly smile. _

_ "Really? What makes you say that?" she said sarcastically. _

_ "I barely know you and already you think I'm the devil reincarnated."_

_ "That's not true. I think you're the devil himself." _

_ Ichigo placed a hand on his chest in mock pain. "Ouch. That one hurt." _

_ "I have more where that came from." _

_ "You're something else, aren't you?" Ichigo said, flashing Rukia his smile. _

_ "What do you want, Ichigo Kurosaki?" _

_ "I want coffee." _

_ "Don't be a smartass. I mean, what do you want from me? Why do you keep coming back to taunt me?" _

_ "Well, I guess I haven't made myself clear enough. What I want, Miss Rukia, is a date. With you." _

_ "No," she said simply, crossing her arms. _

_ "Please?" Ichigo said, still slyly smiling. _

_ "No." _

_ "Pretty please?" _

_ "Stop it," Rukia said, her expression unyielding. _

_ "Come on, don't be like that. What's the harm in a simple date?"_

_ "Oh, there's harm alright. I wouldn't go on a date with you if you were the last person on earth." _

_ "Wow, you really know how to hurt a guy. Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Ichigo asked, leaning his body over the counter to face Rukia head on. _

_ Rukia wasn't intimidated though and leaned forward as well, only a small distance from Ichigo's face. "Positive," she whispered menacingly. Ichigo only smiled. _

Boy, was she stubborn. Ichigo couldn't understand why he had so quickly become so attracted to a woman who was so out of his reach.

And Ichigo never thought that there would be a woman he considered out of his reach.

She was special alright.

As if on cue, Ichigo crossed the street and spotted a short, raven-haired woman who was leaving a small studio. Ichigo shook his head when he spotted her.

_Very funny, universe. _

It was the first time he had seen Rukia outside of the coffee shop. She was dressed casually in a blank tank top and a long, flowing orange and red skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she looked like she had just worked out.

She started walking away from where Ichigo was currently standing and he considered going after her, but he stopped himself. He didn't want to come on too strong. It was obvious his usual tactics for picking up woman were not going to work on this one. He had to play this right.

As Rukia faded from his view, he looked up at the place she had just exited. His brow furrowed when he read the sign. _Ayasegawa's Dance Studio. _

Interesting. Was Rukia a dancer? Ichigo had never been with a dancer. Well, one that wasn't a stripper.

He realized that there was very little he knew about this girl's life. Maybe if he tried to connect with her in some way that was special to her, she would be more open to accepting him. He made a mental note to jog by here more often before he ran back towards his home.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

**Eh, I don't know how I feel about this one. Did y'all like it? Quick note, I have a tumblr where I post stuff from fandoms I like (mostly Bleach) so if you guys want to check that out, please do! My URL is the same as my username here and I'll put a link in my profile as well. And if you have any questions or concerns or just want to know when to expect the next update, send me an ask and I'll answer! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys are awesome!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Ichigo!" Yuzu yelled excitedly as she ran into her brother's arms the moment he opened the door to his penthouse apartment.

Ichigo laughed as his little sister squeezed the life out of him before he managed to untangle her from his arms. "Wow, Yuzu. That was quite a hug. It's good to see you," he said with a smile.

Karin looked at the display of affection between her two siblings and scoffed in disgust. She wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type.

"Hey, Karin. You look absolutely thrilled to be here," Ichigo said sarcastically causing his other baby sister to roll her eyes.

"Yuzu dragged me along. Don't expect me to be happy that I'm here," she said with her arms crossed and a scowl that could give Ichigo a run for his money.

"Yeah, whatever. Just give me a hug, you pain in the ass," he said before wrapping the reluctant Karin in his arms.

"Oh, it's so good to be back in the city! We only stay on campus when we're at the university so it feels great to get out a little," Yuzu said as she carried her bags into her brother's massive living room before plopping on the couch. Karin and Ichigo soon followed.

"How is school going for the two of you? Anything to report?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, there is one new thing," Yuzu said suggestively as she looked toward her sister. Karin's eyes grew wide and she shook her head, praying her sister would keep her mouth shut.

"What? What is it?" Ichigo asked in confusion as he looked between the twins.

"It's nothing," Karin said quickly.

"Oh, it's something alright," Yuzu said with a smile.

"Tell me," Ichigo persuaded.

"Karin has a boyfriend," Yuzu said before her sister could stop her.

"Yuzu!"

"What? He was going to find out eventually. Might as well tell him in person."

"You have a boyfriend!? I am not okay with this. Who is this guy? I have to meet him," Ichigo said, getting angrier and angrier the more he thought about his baby sister in a relationship with a man.

"You are not allowed to meet him," Karin said with a death glare.

"What? Why not?"

"Because you'd probably murder him in his sleep. That is if he was brave enough to stick around after meeting you."

"I still don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, Ichigo, but that's the way it is. You're not my dad and you can't tell me who I can and cannot date," Karin said angrily.

"He better be treating you right."

"Of course he is! I'm not an idiot, Ichigo. I wouldn't be with a guy who didn't treat me well."

Before Ichigo could interrogate his sister any further, a very disturbing thought occurred to him. "Wait…so have you and this guy…you know…yet," Ichigo struggled to get out, not even wanting to know the answer.

"You mean have we had sex?" Karin asked bluntly causing both her twin sister and her big brother to cringe.

"Well…yeah," Ichigo answered.

"Not that it's any of your business but, yeah, we have."

Ichigo's grew wide and he sat back on the couch. "Are you serious? You mean you're not a virgin anymore?" Ichigo was absolutely horrified at the thought, ironically enough.

"Of course I'm not. I'm twenty-one years old," she said as if it was obvious.

"I need a drink," Ichigo said, absolutely defeated. Yuzu and Karin were not supposed to grow up. They had always been his innocent baby sisters and now they had become women.

Ichigo didn't like it at all.

"Would you calm down, brother? It's not that big of a deal," Karin said.

"Of course it's a big deal. Sex is a big deal for girls."

"Oh, but it's not for guys?"

"That's not what I meant."

"You know, Ichigo, you're the last person on earth I would expect to give me a lecture on this. You have sex all the time. Don't act like you don't. I told you, I'm not an idiot."

She had him there. He wasn't exactly a saint when it came to sex, but he still hated the thought of his baby sisters doing it.

And then another thought occurred to him.

He quickly turned to his other baby sister who had been quiet during the entire conversation. "Wait, you're still a virgin, right Yuzu?" he asked worriedly. If Yuzu wasn't, then all hope was lost for him.

She turned red and looked away from her big brother.

Karin rolled her eyes and answered for her, "Yes, brother, Yuzu is still a virgin. I can't believe you would think differently."

"I'm waiting until marriage…unlike the both of you," Yuzu said with a small voice, obviously embarrassed by the conversation.

"Good. Don't let any man pressure you into doing something you don't want to. And if they do, let me know and I'll blow their head off," Ichigo told his sister.

"Ugh, can we please talk about something else? I didn't come all the way to Tokyo to discuss my sex life with my brother and sister," Karin said.

"Yes, let's _please_ talk about something else," Yuzu said quickly, her cheeks blazing red.

"Fine," Ichigo said with his arms crossed, still not very happy.

"So, Ichigo. How's work been?" Yuzu asked trying to divert the conversation as quick as possible.

"Hectic. I'm so stressed out right now and I have a million things to do. As you can see, I was working right before you guys got here," he said indicating the piles of papers scattered across the glass coffee table.

"Why are you working so hard? I thought the CEO only did press conferences and blonde prostitutes," Karin said.

Ichigo glared at his younger sister angrily. "Shut up, Karin. I have an insanely important job. A multi-billion dollar company rests completely on my shoulders. And we've had a lot of unpleasant competition lately."

"What do you mean?" Yuzu asked.

"There's a business man named Sosuke Aizen who's been sending his cronies into big companies and bringing them down from the inside. We have to be extra careful about everything we do and it's affecting everyone."

"Wait, Sosuke Aizen? Wasn't that the guy who took over the Kuchiki company?" Karin asked curiously.

"Kuchiki company? You mean Byakuya Kuchiki's company? How do you know about that?"

"We talked about it in one of my economics classes. Byakuya Kuchiki lost his entire company and Aizen took it over."

"Yeah, he's a cunning business man. He somehow got the great Byakuya Kuchiki to sign a bunch of phony deals that took down a massive company. I'm trying to prevent that from happening to me."

"You'll be fine, brother. You're the best business man there is!" Yuzu said with a cute smile.

Ichigo wanted to believe her. He really did. But he couldn't deny just how nervous Sosuke Aizen made him. He wasn't able to trust anyone at his own company because of him. Every document he signed could be the piece of paper that could bring him down and it terrified him. His father had worked too hard to get this company off the ground and he was _not _going to watch it go under.

"Can we please go somewhere? As big as this place is, I'd rather not spend my weekend cooped up in here," Karin suggested.

Eventually, Ichigo took his sisters walking around his neighborhood. He showed them the Kurosaki Corporation headquarters building and Yuzu got a kick out of seeing her last name on the top of a skyscraper.

Everywhere the three siblings walked, Ichigo couldn't help but notice the women ogling him. Women ogled him everywhere he went. But now that he was walking with his baby sisters, it was like he was even more attractive. For the first time in awhile, he deliberately ignored them.

They walked for a while, talking like old friends. It was nice and Ichigo he wished he could be with his sisters like this more often.

All of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks.

He hadn't realized he was taking his sisters this direction and he couldn't even remember how he had ended up here.

But here he was. And there was no turning away now.

_Just stay cool. Keep walking. Don't even think about looking inside. _

"Ichigo? Are you alright?" Yuzu asked with concern.

Apparently his nervousness had been pretty obvious because both his sisters stopped and looked at him.

"Oh, um, I-I'm fine. Let's just keep going," he said quickly, trying to get his baby sisters anywhere but here.

"Are you sure? You seem really fidgety," Karin asked, skeptical of her brother's excuse.

"I'm fine. Let's just get away from here," he said as he pushed his sisters forward, even though they didn't budge.

"Why? What's wrong with this place? It's just a coffee shop," Yuzu said.

"It's just…um…I don't really like…this place," Ichigo said nervously, rubbing his neck.

"Why not? It's a coffee shop. I thought you liked coffee," Yuzu asked.

"I do. It's not that I don't like coffee, it's just…that I…well…," Ichigo struggled to get his words out. God, this was awkward. When did he become so crappy at excuses?

"Hm, I think our big brother is hiding something, Yuzu. Something that he doesn't want us to see."

"And whatever it is, it's in this coffee shop," Yuzu said as her and her sister smiled mischievously.

"Yeah. Hey, Yuzu, are you just dying for coffee right now?"

"You know what? I am! Let's get some."

"No! Don't go in there!" Ichigo shouted as he desperately tried to stop his sisters from entering the shop. But it was no use. They were determined.

Ichigo entered after Yuzu and Karin and stood in line behind them. His eyes roamed over the employees working behind the counter before he saw a familiar head of raven black hair.

_Dammit. She _would _be working right now. _

He tried to hide himself from her, but he knew it was no use. Everyone in that damn coffee shop _still _stopped what they were doing to gawk when he walked in the door. It bugged the hell out of him. For once.

Eventually the inevitable happened and her eyes met Ichigo's. Her reaction surprised him though. Usually her countenance immediately fell and she would give him a deathly glare. But this time, Rukia stood still and averted his gaze before continuing with whatever she was doing.

It had been a few days since he had last come to the coffee shop and he wasn't planning on going today. He wanted to back off for a bit and let Rukia calm down before he tried anything else on her.

But his sisters had gotten in the way of that.

"Hi, Mr. Kurosaki. Good to see you again. What would you like today?" one of the cashiers told him as he walked up to the counter with his Yuzu and Karin. He had only gone there for a week and already the employees knew his name.

"Just a decaf coffee, Momo. I don't want to be up too late tonight. My sisters would like something as well," he said as he sheepishly indicated the two young women at his side.

"Your sisters, huh? Well that's nice. What you both like?"

Yuzu and Karin both gave the cashier their order and Ichigo paid. Then the three walked over to the pick up counter.

As they walked over to where Rukia was working, Ichigo looked away from her. He hoped that his sisters wouldn't notice, but he knew them better than that.

"Who's that?" Yuzu asked.

"What do you mean?" He tried to play dumb, but he knew exactly whom Yuzu was talking about.

"That girl over there. She's been looking at you since we walked in," Karin observed.

Ichigo finally braved a glance at the small barista who had been occupying a lot of his thoughts recently. When he did, his eyes met hers, until she quickly looked down.

"Ooh, do you like her?" Yuzu asked, giggling like a little schoolgirl.

"What? What makes you say that?" Ichigo asked, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

"Well, you seemed to want to avoid this place like the plague. And you've both been sneaking glances at each other this whole time. I'd say our little Ichigo has a crush that he doesn't want his sisters to know about," Karin said.

How the hell did she figure that out?

Damn, she was good.

"So what if I do? I'm a grown man. I'm allowed to be attracted to women. I would just rather not have my meddling sisters involved in my love life."

Karin and Yuzu looked at each other as if communicating telepathically before turning back to their big brother.

"We'll be nice this time," Yuzu said.

"Yeah, we won't try and talk to her. We'll be waiting over there. You can go ahead and flirt," Karin said. The twins walked over to a table by the window before Ichigo could even say a word.

"Decaf coffee," a familiar voice said from behind the counter. Ichigo whirled around and was met by a pair of unbelievably beautiful violet eyes.

"Thanks," he said, grabbing the cup from where she had placed it on the counter.

"Haven't seen you in a few days. You finally give up?" she said as she got back to mixing coffee drinks. Her voice sounded like it always did. Her confident attitude was back. It was as if she had snapped herself out of whatever trance she had been in before.

"No, I haven't given up. Just giving you some time."

"To make up my mind? I've already told you my answer. It's not going to change."

"I wasn't expecting it to," Ichigo said, his usual cocky air gone.

"So, you bring more friends?" Rukia asked nodding toward his sisters.

"Not really. They dragged me here. My sisters can be pretty persistent."

"Your sisters? Those girls are your sisters?" Rukia asked, genuinely surprised by that bit of information.

"Yeah. Who'd you think they were?"

"I don't know. Your girlfriends."

"Ew, gross. No, Yuzu and Karin are my baby sisters." He was absolutely appalled at anyone mistaking the twins for his girlfriends.

"My mistake," Rukia said simply before taking a frappucino she had just made and capping off the top before placing it on the counter. "Vanilla frappucino."

"That's Yuzu's."

"And which one is Yuzu?" she asked.

"The one with the light brown hair. The black-haired one with the nasty scowl is Karin."

"Just like her brother. Minus the hair, of course," Rukia said with a smirk as she placed another frappucino on the counter. Ichigo grabbed them both, balancing the three drinks in his arms.

"Yeah, I guess she is. I have to go, but it was nice seeing you," he said with a genuine smile before turning and walking toward his two sisters. Rukia was slightly taken aback by his comment. She expected him to give her some flirtatious remark accompanied with that annoying smirk of his. Instead she got a kind smile and a small goodbye.

She watched as he gave his two sisters their drinks and ushered them out the door, despite their insistent pleas to stay.

What was it with him? First he stops coming to the coffee shop consistently and then he shows up with his baby sisters in tow, acting like an actual human being. And why was she so flustered when she first saw him? Rukia hated that she was acting like this. She hated what her brain was telling her despite how much her hurt told her to stay away.

Ichigo Kurosaki was just a womanizing asshole. She should forget about him and move on with her life.

She was shocked at how hard that was for her to do.

**Hope you guys liked it! I wonder if any of you more observant readers noticed that Ichigo doesn't actually know Rukia's last name. That would explain why he knew who Byakuya Kuchiki was and didn't connect him with Rukia. As of right now, she's just Rukia the Coffee Shop Girl. That might change in the future ;) I only wanted to mention that because I figured you guys would wonder why Ichigo hadn't made the connection between Byakuya and Rukia. As always, reviews are the most awesome thing ever and they are so much fun to read so keep them coming! Love the support I'm getting for this story. Couldn't do it without y'all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello lovely readers! I'm so sorry this took so long to get done. My sophomore year of college just started and already I am absolutely swamped! And as I said in my profile, I'm trying to take my time with this story to make sure it's the best it can be. I know where I want this story to go it's just getting there that's been difficult. I appreciate as always all the reviews, favorites, and follows. Thanks to all who stayed with me through this. You guys are the best! Enjoy the chapter :)**

"Okay, what happened today?" Orihime asked her roommate as she barged into their apartment with a huff.

"Why do you always assume that stuff happens while you're not working?" Rukia asked as she dropped her bag on the floor and flopped onto the couch.

"Because stuff always happens while I am working so stuff has to happen while I'm not."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Yes, it does," Orihime said with a giggle. "So, did a certain eligible bachelor drop by?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Why do you always have to bring him up?" Rukia asked, irritated at the mention of the orange-haired bastard.

"Oh, so he did? What happened?"

"How the hell did you know that he came by from one question?"

"Come on, Rukia. I've known you long enough to be able to pick up on these things. Tell me what happened. Did he say anything?"

Rukia sighed and answered, "No, not really. Though I did find out he has sisters, apparently. They were with him today."

Orihime perked up at that. "Really? He has sisters? That's so sweet."

"Just because a guy has sisters, that doesn't mean he's sweet. Lots of people have siblings."

"Yeah, but not everyone spends time with their siblings. This means he really does have a soft side."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. He probably just uses them to pick up girls."

"You really need to stop viewing him like he's the devil's son, Rukia. He could be a nice guy. You hardly know him."

"If you like him so much then why don't you go out with him?"

"What?" Orihime sputtered.

"I can tell how you really feel about the guy. And I don't want to have anything to do with him. I think you should go for it."

Orihime looked down for a moment, clearly embarrassed. Then she said, "But he obviously likes you. He doesn't even notice me when you're around."

"How many times do I have to tell you? He doesn't like me. He just likes the idea of being with me. I'm attractive to him because I'm unattainable. So typical of a chauvinistic pig like him."

"Even if that's true, which I don't think it is, there's no way he's going to notice me if you're still in his sights."

"Not necessarily. I can always get him to come around."

"What? How?"

"There are ways. I could talk you up while I'm with him. Stuff like that."

"Really? You would do that?"

"Of course! As much as that jerk annoys me, I want whatever you want. You're my friend, Orihime, and if you think he can make you happy, I'll do whatever I can to make that happen."

"Rukia, I really appreciate that. And as much as I want to take you up on your offer, I just can't."

"What? Why not? You want to date a millionaire, don't you? And it's obvious he'll listen to what I have to say."

"Yeah, but he likes _you, _Rukia. If you talk to him for the sole purpose of getting him to go out with me, you'll just be leading him on."

"So? It's not like he hasn't led on a hundred girls in his lifetime."

"Rukia! You seriously have to stop assuming stuff like that. You don't know what he's done. Please, give him some credit for once!"

Rukia sat up from her place on the couch, startled at Orihime's outburst. It sounded as though her roommate was actually angry.

And Orihime was _never _angry.

"Hime? What's wrong?"

Rukia's friend sighed and answered quietly, "I just think you've read him wrong. I don't know why, but I just feel like there's another side to him. It bugs me when you're so mean to him."

"Wow, you really must like him a lot."

Orihime averted her friend's eyes. She never wanted to tell her roommate and friend any of this, but she was too far gone now. "It's just not fair! You don't like him at all but he's head over heels for you and he's only known you for over a week. Why couldn't he have been interested in me? I would've actually been nice to him."

"I didn't realize you were so…jealous," Rukia said, surprised at the emotions she was seeing from her friend. It was like a whole other side of her.

"I don't want to be jealous. Ugh, I feel like such a horrible person," Orihime said dejectedly.

"You're not a horrible person, Hime. In fact, I'd say this makes you a pretty normal person."

"I'm sorry, Rukia. It's not right for me to be mad at you. It's not your fault."

"Don't you see, Orihime? This is why you should take advantage of Ichigo's feelings for me. I can get him to like you instead. You wouldn't be jealous anymore and I would be finally rid of that orange haired freak."

"You wouldn't be rid of him if I was dating him, Rukia. You would still see him a lot."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't be flirting with me. I can handle him if he's not being an annoying prick."

Orihime gave a slight smile and then her expression turned serious. "I still don't feel comfortable using him."

Rukia gave a sigh of exasperation. "Why not? It might sound bad now, but if it works, everyone gets what they want."

"He wouldn't," Orihime said sadly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you should go through with this. Don't lead him on for my sake. Please."

Rukia looked at her friend's pleading expression and sighed. "Fine," she said in resignation. Orihime smiled and got up to start cooking their dinner. Rukia grimaced just thinking about what crazy concoction she was going to be forced to eat tonight.

* * *

"Go fish," Yuzu Kurosaki said slyly as she peaked above her cards across the table to her big brother.

"Dammit. I suck at this game," Ichigo said as he drew another card and slid it into his fast growing hand.

"Are you guys really playing Go Fish?" Karin asked skeptically from her spot on the couch. She was busy watching TV on the enormous flat screen up on the wall.

"Yeah, why not? It's fun!" Yuzu said with a sweet smile.

"I thought you loved this game Karin?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, when I was nine."

"Don't be a party pooper. Do you have any eights, Ichigo?"

"How the hell do you do that?" Ichigo asked in disbelief as he handed over three of his cards to his little sister and she placed down the group of four cards victoriously.

"I'm not telling you my secrets."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his sister. After walking around the city some more and eating dinner, Yuzu determined for the three siblings that it was time to go back home and hang out in Ichigo's penthouse. Karin was not happy with this decision, however, and begged to stay and see the nightlife of Tokyo. But there was no way Ichigo was going to take her to a club so they ended up coming back home.

Just then a knock was heard from the door and all three Kurosaki siblings turned to it in confusion.

"Are you expecting someone, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked.

"Don't think so," he said as he got up from the table and walked across the living room to answer the door.

He was not pleased to see Ishida on the other side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked in irritation.

"You really know how to make people feel welcome, don't you?" Ishida answered with a smirk as he moved past his friend and walked into the spacious apartment.

"Please, come in," Ichigo said sarcastically as he closed the door behind his friend.

"Ah, you must be Kurosaki's sisters," Ishida said once he noticed the two young woman making themselves comfortable in his friend's living room.

"Yes, I'm Yuzu and that's my sister Karin," Yuzu said politely as she got up to shake Ishida's hand.

"I'm Uryuu Ishida. It's nice to meet you."

"Are you one of Ichigo's friends?"

Uryuu chuckled and answered, "Somehow, yes. I also work under him at the company."

"Man, I feel sorry for you," Karin said sarcastically, not taking her eyes away from the TV.

"Shut up, Karin. What are you doing here, Ishida?" Ichigo asked as he joined in on the strange greeting between his closest friend and his sisters.

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go out and get a drink but I forgot that you had company."

"Since when did you want to start getting drinks with me?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"Since today," Ishida said with a grin. Then, he moved closer to his friend and whispered, "In all seriousness though, I do need to talk to you."

"About what?" Ichigo whispered back. It was obvious whatever Ishida wanted to talk about did not involve his sisters.

"Aizen. Some new developments."

Ichigo's expression became serious and he nodded in understanding. "Let's talk in my study."

Yuzu and Karin watched in suspicion as the two friends walked out of the living room and up the stairs to Ichigo's immense study.

Ichigo walked behind his desk and sat in his chair, Uryuu facing him. "You might want a glass of Scotch for this one."

"Crap. What happened?" Ichigo asked in concern.

"Guess who Ukitake had lunch with yesterday."

"Who?" Ichigo asked with narrowed eyes.

"Ichimaru."

"Shit."

"Tell me about it."

"What the hell is Ukitake doing with that guy? Doesn't he know he's one of Aizen's cronies?"

"I thought he did. But then he came back raving about all these plans that Ichimaru told him about."

"Man, I thought Ukitake was smarter than that."

"So did I. Either way, this is really bad. First, it's lunch. Then, it's offering him a job and then you can kiss your company goodbye, Kurosaki."

Ichigo sighed in exasperation. "I'll talk to him on Monday."

"Yeah, you better. You're my friend, Ichigo, and I'd hate for you to have to go through what Byakuya Kuchiki went through. Especially considering your sisters."

"Don't remind me, Ishida. I'm aware of what's on the line. I will provide for my sisters no matter what."

"You say that now. But Byakuya Kuchiki has a sister who I assume he vowed to provide for no matter what as well. And who knows what happened to her."

"Wait, Kuchiki has a sister?"

"Yep."

"Poor girl."

"Yeah. Do you want that to be your sisters?"

"Of course I don't!"

"Good. Then remember them when you run your company. Stay on your toes and don't trust anyone. Aizen is cunning and will use anyone to get what he wants."

Ichigo shook his head in understanding. He would never let his sisters have to fend for themselves. He would protect them no matter what. "Got it."

**I know what you're thinking. When will Ichigo figure out who Rukia actually is? Don't worry, it's coming :) Also expect some more Ichiruki goodness in the next few chapters :) As always, read and review! I always love reading what you guys have to say. **


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